The Weekly Grapevine

During last year's Japanese Grand Prix weekend, rumours surfaced that the FIA was considering the mandatory use of standardised engines in Formula 1.

Although as many as five teams were subsequently said to have shown interest in the concept (and/or acquiring blueprints from which to manufacture replicas), the concept died a silent death, with other issues such as Honda's exit and Brawn GP's subsequent entry, the double-decker diffuser row and McLaren's long-nose affair effectively burying all talk of a concept which found little favour in the F1 paddock.